It was important that I had something to say about Dog Day Afternoon. From the first time I watched it some 26 years ago, it has remained within my top 3 all-time favorite films.

In fact, I'll go on record and say that Dog Day Afternoon is one of the greatest films ever made! It's a brilliantly executed film for the fact that it contains an amazing ensemble of cast and crew. It started with an oscar-winning screenplay by Frank Pierson, based on a magazine article about a bank robbery that actually took place in August 1972. You then have the talents of director Sidney Lumet, a director renowned for his his skill of pushing hard to get top-notch performances from the actors he works with. In the forefront, there was an amazing line-up of actors such as Al Pacino, John Cazale and Charles Durning, all giving what may be considered the finest performances of their careers. Take all of this and put it in the very capable hands of film editor Dede Allen, and you come out with a tragically funny, highly energetic, and brilliantly acted masterpiece.

As I mentioned above, the film is based on a true story. On a hot Brooklyn afternoon in August 1972, two amateurs, Sonny (Al Pacino) and Sal (John Cazale), set out to rob a bank. They both expected that the robbery would be over in a few minutes. What ensued was a totally botched attempt that brought hundreds of police offers and the creation of a media circus to a small NY street. It was unlike anything anyone had seen before.

The situation goes from bad to worse as the robbery turns into a hostage situation. Inside the bank, there's the bank manager, security guard and an assortment of female tellers. Outside the bank is Detective Sergeant Moretti (Charles Durning), trying to negotiate the terms of release amongst the hundreds of Brooklyn natives cheering Sonny on behind the barricades.

How does it look and sound?

I have to be honest -- I have watched Dog Day Afternoon so many times during my life that I had no intention of watching it nor even posting a review. Blame it all on curiosity. I was curious to see how well Warner Brothers restored this copy, wondering if they did any extensive restoration at all.

Well, I popped the movie in rather late last evening and ended up watching it all the way through.

I was captured by the brilliance of the transfer. I have seen this film countless times on VHS, laserdisc and even the initial non-anamorphic DVD release. I know this transfer inside and out. I can tell you where all the print scratches are supposed to be, and I can tell you exactly how the film is supposed to sound.

What I watched last evening was a totally different film, highly evident from the opening shot of the camera pulling away from the Manhattan Circle Liner. What should have been there were an assortment of scratches and other abrasions. Instead, for the first time in my life, I was seeing a sequence almost totally free of debris. Take a look at the first photo I posted of Pacino inside the bank waving the gun. Though the image is compressed, it does faithfully represent how clean and accurate the transfer is.

Something else occurred to me, too. Though the mono audio soundtrack didn't exhibit a noticeable amount of overall fidelity, I was actually hearing sounds I never noticed before. During the film's opening montage, I heard clanging garbage cans and other punctuated background noises. This tells me that great care was given to cleaning up the film's soundtrack to bring out these effects. Even Elton John's wonderful "Amoreena" sounds slightly more vibrant than it previously had.

The video presentation brings Dog Day Afternoon to a brand-new level. This is the first time since owning a widescreen display I have seen the film in its enhanced for anamorphic presentation. It is being presented in a "matted" widescreen format that preserves the original theatrical ratio. I am not sure we are actually seeing any more picture information than we have before, but I have to say, seeing this on a 57" widescreen television with a highly improved transfer, really drew me into the action, making me feel as if I was experiencing the film for the very first time.

The transfer is beautiful. It doesn't match the look of what we would expect from modern film -- and that's a good thing. The film still looks like something out of the '70s era which is important to preserving the gritty look of New York City during that period. The extremely accurate earthy colors give the film a very warm feel. I was amazed by how good the colors and flesh tones are represented here. This was obviously a transfer that was given a lot of time to be done RIGHT. This is the best the film has ever looked.

If you want to give me something to actually complain about, I can do it. There's something very cruel that Warner Brothers did here that is something outside of the transfer itself. It is replacing the original opening Warner Brothers logo (which I believe was their special 70s "W" logo) with their brand new studio logo. While I know how proud Warner is of their new logo, I feel the studio is destroying the historical value of this film by replacing the original. The studio needs to understand that purists want to see the film exactly as it was seen in 1975.

Supplements

The Making of Dog Day Afternoon is a very enjoyable, highly informable one-hour documentary that features (amongst others) new interviews with director Sidney Lumet, producer Martin Bregman and editor Dede Allen. Additionally, you will be thrilled to know about new interviews with (amongst others) Al Pacino, Chris Sarandon and Charles Durning. There is much that is covered here ranging from the magazine article that started it all, to the casting, filming and popularity that followed after the film's release. Some of the most revealing stories is that the film was actually filmed in the Fall, and ice had to be placed in the actors mouths in order to hide their breathe in the cold air. It's also amazing to learn that John Casale was the most unlikely choice for the film, that is, until his audition.

What I am very disappointed isn't included anywhere here is footage of the actual events this film is based on. Maybe I am expecting too much, but with all the media surrounding this event, I am surprised that there is no news footage of the real Sonny parading in front of the crowd. It would have been very interesting to see how close this film came to portraying the actual events.

What I also enjoyed was a brief vintage featurette on director Sidney Lumet that was fascinating to watch for the fact that it was the only footage included anywhere on this entire DVD that actually took you out on the set and behind-the-scenes of what was being filmed. Frankly, I wish there was more of this included in the documentary, but I am guessing that perhaps such footage no longer exists.

Final Thoughts

It occurs to me that there are possibly many readers of this forum much younger than myself who probably never watched Dog Day Afternoon. To those readers I suggest going out and purchasing this DVD blindly. For most everyone else, there is no need for persuasion. Warner Brothers has done a sensational job restoring this film and giving it a much needed anamorphic presentation. Watching it now is like viewing the film for the very first time.

Available: NOW

All screen captures have been further compressed. They are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent actual picture quality

Moderator

Thanks, Ron! I had absolutely no inclination to upgrade my original copy of DDA. Now I'm thinking I might be looking a little harder for the Controversial Classics #2 box at my local wholesale club. Since I haven't opened my copy of All the President's Men yet--this remains a viable option.

Too bad about the logo...but you make the transfer sound terrific. I had screened my old copy not that long ago and had noticed all those scatches and problems that are committed to Ron's memory.

Someday very soon I've got to get off my duff (or, rather, ON my duff) to watch Braveheart. Of Ron's Top 4, that's one that keeps getting pushed to the bottom of my must-view list. I've had it on my shelf too long for it to remain unviewed. :b

I can second Ron's blind-buy recommendation for this film. It truly is one of the greats. Pacino is at the absolute top of his game here, and Cazale is just as good.

The script is enthralling. The filmmaking is electric. The energy just leaps out at you from the first five minutes on. In my opinion, it is a nearly perfect film.

I saw DDA as a young kid. I had been a growing film buff, being enamored by movies that would normally be considered a bit too "mature" for a kid my age. (That's what happens when some of your earliest exposures is to such films as "Bonnie & Clyde" and "The Wild Bunch.") My father, bless him, recognized my budding movie passion and said yes when I asked him to take me to see this one -- an R-rated movie that warranted its "R."

Like Ron, it has remained one of my fondest movie memories. (Plus the added bonus of being a nice father-son memory for me too.) For those who might have been too young or not even around when this was released, or simply have never had a chance to see it, you will not be disappointed.

It's one of the great ones.

If they made a t.v. movie about an Elvis Presley impersonator, would they have to get a Kurt Russell impersonator to play the part?

Great review, Ron. I whole-heartedly agree -- it's one of the best films ever made.

I haven't watched it yet but your review made me move it to the top of my watch list.

If there are any hold-outs for the Controversial Classics Vol. 2 box set, let this review and the replies that are sure to follow get you to your nearest DVD store to purchase the set. 3 of the best films ever made. They are mandatory for any movie lover's library. (Less than $50 at Best Buy and Costco has it for less than $40.)

Many Shubs and Zuuls knew what it meant to roast in the depths of the Sloar that day I can tell you.

Exactly how I felt when I picked up the dvd recently on region 2. I love the movie but I was looking forward to seeing at least a few clips from the actual event considering the so-called 'media circus' that surrounded it, nothing, nada, I don't even think they showed a photo of the real 'Sonny'. And I don't know why.

So I was disappointed in that, but the film itself has probably never looked better, fantastic transfer, crisp clear mono sound. A must buy for Pacino fans and collectors of great movies from arguably cinema's greatest ever decade.

I mentioned in a thread yesterday that I never double dip. The only exception I make is when I'm not really "buying" the movie. Since I want the other two movies in the set and buying the box works out to about the same price and picking up two single releases, I can get Dog Day Afternoon for free esentially. Gotta love loopholes.

I bought the Controversial Classics Volume 2 boxset for $45. I've seen Network and All The Presiden't Men before, but I think I am most looking forward to seeing DDA for the first time. I had a feeling a better DVD would be coming so I've put it off until now.

Having not had this one on DVD (I know, I know, shame on me), I am looking forward to my copy of CC2, which should arrive today. If you haven't seen DDA (or Network or ATPM), let me add my voice to Ron's and the others here and say you can't go wrong with a blind buy. If you are a fan of movies, period, you will be happy to have any of these in your collection.

Owner

I gave away my original copy weeks ago in anticipation of this new release.

If the old DVD was indeed anamorphic I apologize for the misinformation. Realize that at the time I wrote the review, I did go on-line to double-check the specs of that original disc here and found that the original version was listed as being "non-anamorphic."

Great boxset. The documentaries were wonderful. I liked (in DDA) how they tackled the Gay issue back then. Lumet, Pacino and Sarandon wanted the relationship to not get laughs and feel believable. It paid off very well for them and the film. NETWORK is my 2nd all-time favorite film and I think it is STILL FLAWLESS. The documentaries for PRESIDENT'S MEN were interesting but not as good as the ones for NETWORK and DDA.

which is odd because the old logo is there for ATPM (Network was an MGM production). i agree, its a small detail, but it does help set the mood for the next couple hours. of all three in the box, the image on this one looks the most pleasing, the most glossy- which did surprise me a little.

this title, although i have always liked the film, was actually the one in the box i was least anxious to watch again, but i'll probably watch it tonight and put off ATPM for a while. Network struck me like a bolt of lightning last night- i remember it being a good movie, i had forgotten it was a brilliant one as well.

when i first heard about this set, the inclusion of only three films seemed very underwhelming considering the 7 or so we got in the first collection. After watching Network and antincipating these next two- i finally 'get' it. it's only the beinging of March and we've already seen one of the greatest sets of the year, and one of the best collections ever released on this medium.

Echoing Sam and others sentiments, if you consider yourself a film lover, this set is a no-brainer.

i watched the movie for the first time (it was a rented copy of the old dvd). they sure don't make em like they used to. For a 90's remake (and not nearly as good, and poorly acted version) try to hunt down a copy of a movie called "pups". for you sopranos buffs, the guy who plays uncle junior on the show, is sonny's father.

also, not really being around in the 70's, can someone explain the signifcance of the "Attica, Attica" speech.

now i have network to look forward to on my dvr.

Ezekiel 25:17. The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of the darkness. For he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of...

At the Modern Art Museum here in Fort Worth last year, they had a fascinating exhibit by an artist whose medium was film/video. One of the pieces was a documentary, about 15 minutes long, combining clips from "Dog Day Afternoon" with news footage of the actual events, and an interview with the survivor of the pair of bank-robbers held on a set recreating the bank lobby. The whole thing was projected Cinerama-fashion using two DLP units side-by-side, frequently providing comparisons between parallel records of the event. Pure genius if you ask me, and too bad it's not on this disc!

The original disc was indeed anamorphic; a flipper with the Full Screen on one side, and the Widescreen on the other, "Enhanced for Widescreen TV's" as WB likes to phrase it. Another thing I've loved about Warners was how many of their early releases were anamorphic.

My boxset hasn't shipped yet, but I can't wait to get this and watch these films again.